The Contreras heritage: safe in the hands of José Antonio Lagunar The legacy of Manuel and Pablo Contreras in the world of Spanish guitar is to be found not only in their excellent instruments displaying outstanding acoustic merits, but also in their “way of doing things”; an approach to guitar-making based on research, coupled with beautiful craftsmanship of impeccable quality. Their guitars have set a standard, in terms of both sound and elegance. They are highly sought after for their original methods of construction, for the handcrafted mosaics and ornamentation. Also worthy of note are the beautiful and characteristic “ear of wheat” (or “feather”) designs on the headstock, the rosette and the edging around the guitar tops on the “Doble tapa” and “10° Aniversario” models. After the untimely loss of Pablo Contreras in January 2011, José Antonio Lagunar, the long-serving workshop manager, took over the «guitarrería». He has honoured the Contreras heritage, conserving the models and systems of construction that stemmed from so many years of work and research, as well
as this unique “way of doing things”, this quest for perfect beauty and sonority that was so dear to our dearly departed Manuel and Pablo Contreras. Victoria Velasco Ed.: Victoria Velasco has worked for the Contreras “guitarrería” since 1989, bringing to bear her experience as a teacher at the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid as well as her linguistic skills to run the commercial side of the business, handle public relations and test each and every instrument built in the workshop. José Antonio Lagunar joined the Contreras workshop in 1984, thanks to his uncle, Alfredo Lagunar, who was workshop manager at the time. José Antonio took over his uncle’s role as head of the workshop when the latter retired in 1995.
Close-up of the “feather” (or “ear of wheat”).